AVMA presidential candidate: Bob Murtaugh, DVM, MS, DACVIM, DACVECC, FCCM

dvm360^®'s Chief Veterinary Officer Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, had the privilege to sit down and discuss with the 3 American Veterinary Medical Associaton (AVMA) presidential candidates for an exclusive interview. Through these interviews, Christman and each candidate dive into their careers in veterinary medicine, their platform if elected, and more. To learn more about Bob Murtaugh, DVM, MS, DACVIM, DACVECC, FCCM, check out the video above and the partial transcript below.

The following is a partial transcript of the video.

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: Hey everyone, thank you for joining us. My name is Dr Adam Christman, chief veterinary officer here at dvm360. And I have both the privilege and honor in getting to meet and interview the 3 candidates running for the AVMA president in 2024. One of the candidates joining me today is Dr Bob Murtaugh, often referred to as “Murt.” Welcome Dr, how’s it going?

Bob Murtaugh, DVM, MS, DACVIM, DACVECC, FCCM: Hey Adam, great to be here.

Dr Christman: So a little bit of information about our wonderful colleague, Bob has been a 42-year AVMA member since graduating in 1980 from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. He completed his residency at the Ohio State University in 1984 and board certification in veterinary internal medicine in 1985. Bob is a faculty member at Tufts University school of veterinary medicine from 1984 to 1988 and served as hospital director of both of the large and small animal teaching hospitals at Tufts. From 1998-2000 he served as chief of staff at the nonprofit, DoveLewis emergency animal hospital group in Portland, Oregon. Bob was with VCA Animal Hospitals 2000-2015 as a practicing specialist, medical director, and regional medical director encompassing primary care and specialty practice oversight and operations in New England, New York, New Jersey, the mid Atlantic, Chicago, New Mexico, and Southern California. Bob joined Thrive Pet Healthcare in 2015, as a partner and chief medical officer. He has been an instrumental contributor to the growth of Thrive Let Healthcare from 15 to now more than 350 veterinary locations providing a variety of quality small and large animal services in over 37 states. But wait, there’s a lot more. And so I want him to tell us a little bit about it. So, Murt, tell us more about yourself, who you are, I mean you’ve got so much behind your belt, so tell us a little bit about yourself.

Dr Murtaugh: Well, thanks Adam. Hard to follow that introduction. So yeah 4 decades of leadership and practice in the profession, academia, nonprofits, private practice. I think that gives me a large wealth of experience and vision for where we are and where we need to go as a profession. Aside from the veterinary part, I’m now in Texas. I have a 20 acre ranch, with a lovely veterinary wife who is off to horse shows in Fort Worth. So my life is full, no question about it.